This invention relates to a custom-fitted ankle brace.
The invention has particular application in the orthopedic medical field, where ankle sprains or fractures are often splinted with a brace so that the patient can continue to walk while the injury heals. One typical such injury is a sprain of the anterior talofibular ligament at the interior margin of the lateral malleolus. In such cases, it is essential to brace the ankle in such a way as to stabilize the ankle against eversion and inversion while permitting dorsiflexion and planoflexion necessary for normal walking and therapeutic exercise. It is also desirable for the brace to be sufficiently compact to fit within a conventional shoe. The invention takes advantage of polymer chemistry to permit quick and easy molding of a brace to the ankle. Shock attenuation is increased since the custom fit provides spreads contact between the brace and the ankle over a wider surface area.
Therefore, in the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application, the brace will accommodate a wide range of sizes and can be fitted to either the right or left ankle. Thus, a much reduced inventory is required. This feature also substantially reduces design and manufacturing costs, and promotes use through ease of fitting.
Prior art ankle braces include numerous types of braces which typically include a soft component to place near the skin and a hard, shell-like preformed outer cover having a shape approximating a "normal" ankle. The soft component, for example, fiber padding, foam or and air bladder, is intended not only to provide a cushion, but also to accommodate itself to the varying configurations of differing sized and shaped body parts. For this reason, the cushioned part is substantially greater in thickness than required merely to provide the required amount of shock attenuation. Such devices are sufficiently "generic" in size and shape that they are usually required to be held in place by straps or bands.
Other prior art ankle braces include pads which are constructed of thermosetting materials, which are heated and then formed to the body while heated. These products require a source of heat, and are susceptible to either over-or-underheating, in addition, body heat itself can soften or increase the flexibility of the pad, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the protection offered by the pad.
The present invention permits quick and easy application of an ankle brace to a body part in such a way as to achieve a true custom fit. The moisture curable resin system used results in a very rigid ankle brace which holds the shape of the molded brace to a very high degree. No heat is required, and a source of water is the only additional material necessary to achieve a cure. Atmospheric moisture alone will cure the brace into its hardened position in a relatively short period of time, but in practice the resin in or on the brace will typically be activated by dipping in water.